Centrifugal governor



June 1 9, 1923.

E. W. GENT CENTRIFUGAL GOVERNOR Filed Sept. 21, 1921 Patented June 19,1923.

-UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

EDGAR W. GENT, OF MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR '10 WESTERN ELECTRICCOMPANY, INCORPORATED, or NEW YORK.

YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW CENTRIFUGAL GOVERNOR.

Application filed September 21, 1921. Serial No. 502,247.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, EDGAR W. GENT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Morristown, in the county of Morris, State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CentrifugalGovernors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

. This invention relates to speed regulating devices and moreparticularly to frictionally retarded centrifugal governors.

Governors of this character usually employ rotatable weights which arethrown outwardly by centrifugal force into frictional engagement with astationary member whereby a retarding force is created in opposition tothe force rotating the governor.

1 The rotatable weights are generally restrained in their outwardmovement by socalled retractible springs, and the speed at which suchgovernors Operate is ordinarily regulated by varying the tension of there tractile sprlngs, the speed of the mechanism increasing with thetension of the retractile springs and vice versa.

It has been found that governors of the aforementioned character,particularly those of very small dimensions, wherein the retractilesprings are comparatively delicate, Often lose their accuracy afterbeing in service a considerable time. This is due largely to weakeningof the retractile springs, wh ch is caused partly by wear, and partly byfatigue of the metal of which the springs are made. g

It is, therefore, the primary Ob]eCt of the present invention to provldea governor of simple and inexpensive construction without retractilesprings. As ancillary to the aforementioned object, it is a furtherobject to provide suitable means for adjusting or regulating theoperation of such a governor.

These Objects are accomplished by employing the combination of acentrifugally operable weight with a pivoted arm which 18 adapted .tofrictionally engage a stationary member, and means for varying the pointof.

- engagement of said weight with said arm.

The use of the weight makes it unnecessary to use springs. I

For a more detailed description of the invention reference will now behad to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the governor, andFig. 2 is a sectional vie along the line 2-2 of Fig. '1.

One form of the invention, as described,

' be provided with a key way or other suitable arrangement, whereby thespider 5 is nonrotatably secured thereon. The spider 5 is provided witha plurality of peripheral slots 6 which receive the weights 7, thelatter being preferably spherical and movable radially in the slots 6.

The two plates 8 and 17 tied together by the pivot pins 12 constitute asecond spider which is coaxial with the spider 5 and is also mounted Onthe spindle 1. The latter spider, however, is not secured to thespindle. The plate 8 is provided with an arcuate. slot 9 through which ascrew 10 extends, the latter being tapped into the spider 5. The spidercomprising plates 8 and 17 may be rotated relatively to spider 5 throughan angle determined by the slot 9 and may be secured in any positionwithin the range of this relative movement by the screw 10, as will beevident. The arms 11 are each pivotally'mounted by means of the pins 12.Each of the armsll is preferably provided with a stud 13 of frictionalmaterial such as-rubber or cork which is designed to bear against theinternal annular surface of the stationary cup-shaped member 14. Thelatter member is staked or otherwise suitably secured to the bushing 2and is prevented from rotating by any suitable means which it is notthought necessary to illustrate. The two spiders together with theirassociated parts are held on the spindle 1 by the nut 15 and washer 16.

In operation, the spindle 1 together with the spiders and their attachedparts are rotated. The centrifugal force developed by said rotationcauses the weights 7 to fly outward radially, whereupon they impinge ontheir respectively associated pivoted arms 11 with a force proportionalto the speed of rotation, and the centrifugal force thus developed isconveyed to the friction studs 13. Now it will be seen that the productof the centrifugal force developed in any one of the weights 7 and thedistance from the point of contact of said weight on its associated arm11 to the pivotal point 12 of said arm const tutes a moment of force. Itwill also be evi-. dent that the product of the pressure of any one ofthe friction studs 13 against the stationary member 14 and the distancebetween the point of contact of said friction stud and .the'pivotalpoint 12 of the arm 11 on which the friction stud is mounted constitutesa moment of force. Considering any one weight 7 and its associated arm11 and friction stud 13, the two moments of force must always be equal.Now since the centrifugal force developed in the Weight at any givenspeed is a constant, regardless of the position of said weight withrespect to the pivotal point .12 of its associated arm 11, it followsthat the first mentioned moment of force varies with the distancebetween the radial line of action of the weight and the pivotal point12, and

' since the distance between the friction studs 13 and the pivotalpoint/12 remains constant the pressure between the friction stud 13 andthe stationary member 14 will vary with each chan e in the angularposition of the weight 7 with respect to its associated pivotal point12.

In Fig. 1, the weights 7 are shown in their extreme position away fromthe pivots 12 in which position the maximum retarding force will bedeveloped. By loosening the screw 10, the spider 5 together with weights7 may be shifted angularly with respect to the spider comprising plates8 and 17 and the pivotal oints 12 with the result that the weights maybe causedto impinge on the arms 11 at points nearer the pivots 12, thusefieeting a decrease in the retarding effect of the governor.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a centrifugal governor, a stationary member having an annularsurface, a rotatable member having a socket therein, an arm ivoted onthe rotatable member and in frictional engagement with the annularsurface of said stationary member, a ball fitting .in the socket of therotatable member and adapted to press against the arm and to cause it tobear upon the annular surface of the stationary member under theinfluence of centrifugal force.

2. In a centrifugal governor, a stationary member having an annularsurface, a rotatable pivoted member in frictional engagement with theannular surface of said stationary member, a weight responsive tocentrifugal force and bearing against the inner side of said pivotedmember to vary its pressure upon the stationary member, and meansneaaeea for varying the point of application of the centrifugal forcedeveloped by said weight with respect to the point of application ofrality of pivoted arms in frictional engagement with the annular surfaceof said stationary member, a plurality of centrifugally movable weights,each associated with one of said arms and adapted to impinge thereonwith varying pressure in response to centrifugal force, and means foradjusting the line of action of said Weights with respect to the pivotsof their, associated arms.

4. In a centrifugal governor, a stationary annular member, a. rotatablemember, a lever pivotally attached to said rotatable member andfrictionally engaged with said annular member, a Wei ht rotatable aboutthe center of said rotatab e member and responsive to centrifugal forceto impinge on said lever, and means for changing the point of contact ofsaid weight with said lever whereby the retarding effect of the governormay be changed.

5. In a centrifugal governor, a stationary member having an internalannular surface, a rotatable member concentric with said stationarymember comprising a spider having a plurality of peripheral slots, aweight in each of said slots movable radially therein, a second spiderconcentric with said first mentioned spider and adjustable angularlywith respect thereto, and a. plurality of arms, one, for each of saidweights, said arms each pivotally secured to said second mentionedspider and in frictional engagement with the internal annular surface ofsaid stationary member, said weights responsive to centrifugal force toimpinge on said arms.

6. In a centrifugal governor, a stationary member having an internalannular surface, a rotatable member concentric with said stationarymember comprising a spider having a plurality of peripheral slots, arotatable weight in each of said slots movable radially therein,a secondspider concentric with said first mentioned spider and adjustable anlarly with respect thereto, and a plurality of arms, one for each ofsaid weights, said arms each pivotally-secured to said second mentionedspider and in frictional engagement with the internal annular surface ofnaeaaee ally therein, a second spider concentric with said firstmentioned spider and adjustable angularly with respect thereto, and aplurality of arms, one for each of said weights, said arms eachpivotally secured to said second mentioned spider and in frictionalengagement with the internal annular surface of said stationary member,said weights being responsive to centrifugal force to impinge on saidarms.

8. A governor comprising a plurality of balls, an annular member and aplurality of In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9thday of September A. 10., 1921.

EDGAR W. GENT.

